The Perfect Storm
by Taylorblue21
Summary: His only intention was to end his marriage, but he was presented with so much more. He gets sucked into the past and can't help but feel like himself again. With time dwindling down, who will he choose? His new fiànce or his first love?
1. Chapter 1

The drive to Oklahoma City was dull and monotonous, the only perks being an occasional decent song. Rachel sat in the passenger seat with ear phones tangling with her unruly red hair. She had on a plain white t-shirt with paint-splattered jeans. Even under the circumstances she wasn't dressed to impress, which was one of the things he loved about her.

Rachel saw things only in black-and-white, there were no in-between solutions in her book. If you want to hold something off, or wait for a solution to appear out of thin air, you'd earn yourself a mouthful. Percy had to learn of that trait the hard way.

When he realized his marriage to Annabeth was over, he was inconsolable. Everything around him was surrounded by his presence, he couldn't make a simple decision without her calculating, grey eyes appearing in his mind. He had sunken into a dangerous depression, the only relief he had found was the amber liquid residing at the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

He was going out of his mind, until he met her. They had bumped into each other the night he had filed for divorce. Rachel had made it her mission to dig him out of the black hole he was hiding in. She visited every Friday night, carrying a funny movie and plenty of junk food.

It wasn't until weeks after they met that she finally made her moves on him. Percy was shocked at first, unsure of whether he should proceed. He had developed feelings for her, that was never the issue, but he felt as though he was cheating on Annabeth. So he backed off, making a petty excuse about not being ready to move on, yet. Rachel respected his fears and agreed to wait until he was ready.

A month went by before Rachel broached the subject again. She vented about how she had fallen for him and that it was really difficult for her to hold back her feelings. Percy had sighed and finally relented, promising to take her out the next time he saw her.

He was stuck in-between a rock and a hard place at that point. His divorce had not been finalized yet, but he didn't want to be unfair to Rachel by leading her on. Annabeth had been very uncooperative with the divorce, refusing to respond with him or his lawyer. They both knew their marriage was over, but she was being stubborn and continued to string him along.

So he dated Rachel, his anger at Annabeth overruling any guilt he had once had. Percy never admitted to her that he was still technically married, she respected his privacy and never questioned him about it.

A year went by before he finally decided to suck it up and email Annabeth. He explained to her that he was planning to propose and begged her to sign the papers. Rachel accepted his proposal, not that he doubted she would, and a we later he received the divorce papers.

After he had mailed the documents to his lawyer, he confided in Rachel about his divorce. She was shocked and a little bit hurt that he hadn't told her sooner, but quickly got over it. Life seemed to be a breeze after that day, there were no secrets weighing them down and their relationship continued to blossom. Rachel made wedding plans, asking for Percy's opinion on the more major details, and set a date. It was a picture perfect world for them, until Percy got a call from his lawyer.

"I'm afraid this isn't a social visit. I have some bad news," he had told Percy, solemnly. Rachel sat next to him on the couch, offering Percy support. She held his hand and demanded answers from the lawyer before Percy could open his mouth.

"It appears as though Annabeth forgot to sign the last document. Meaning that the two of you are still married." Disbelief had clouded his mind, how could she miss the last signature? He handed Percy the papers, flipping them to the last section of the files. Percy's sloppy signature filled up the first line but the second line was blank.

He spaced out as his lawyer went over solutions to solving the dilemma, commenting that these things happen all the time. Percy knew better than to believe that, Annabeth had done this on purpose. All of the things she had to sign were accompanied with a green post-it note beside her name, Percy's were in yellow. It was fool proof. The protruding tabs were plain as day, and he knew that she had intentionally skipped over them. If it was out of spite over the engagement or because she still held onto their marriage, he didn't know, but he sure as hell was going to find out.

Which is what led him on this journey to Oklahoma City. He was going to mail them back to her and demand that she sign the last line, but Rachel wouldn't allow it. She knew that the only way to get Annabeth to swallow back her pride and sign the document was to pay her a visit.

A sigh of relief brushed past Percy's lips as the familiar headquarters appeared. Luke had called it their "Hillbilly Motel", but it really was just a large section of dirt laid out for travellers. By the looks of it, the whole gang was there. Everyone was milling about, members of the team jumping from van to van, most likely analyzing the weather forecasts. He looked a bit further and found Annabeth hunched over the hood of Grover's van.

She had a pad of paper thrown in front of her, her hand moving quickly across the sheet as she jotted down notes. An old, dinosaur of a laptop sat proudly in front of her, producing a colorful radar of today's weather conditions. She had her hair tied back in a loose bun, a few stray hairs framing her face. She had on a pair of tight-fitted capris and a blue blouse that hugged her torso. Percy swallowed back the guilt as he noticed the locket dangling from her neck. He had given it to her a year ago for their anniversary, and he was surprised that she hadn't tossed it away. He looked a bit closer and saw her engagement ring and wedding band flanking the sides of the locket. It was a beautiful symbol of their love, and it tore at his heart.

Percy hopped out of his truck and waited for Rachel to join him. He put a hand on her back, about to guide her to Annabeth when Luke popped up.

"Percy, my man" he yelled. His head snapped towards Luke, a bright smile lighting up his face despite his growing irritation. He had always looked up to Luke, he was one of his favorite members on the team. Luke was one of the most loyal guys he's ever met and it was no surprise when he sided with his sister during the divorce. He hadn't been contacted by Luke since the day he left.

"How have you been? I see you found yourself a new girl," Luke smirked, wagging his eyebrows at Rachel. There was a hint of disappointment in his tone, but Percy chose to ignore it. As much as he would love to catch up with his team, he had only shown up to get Annabeth to sign the papers. He introduced Luke to Rachel and bolted while they made small talk.

Annabeth's head snapped up before he had even reached her, shock flooding her features. She leaned away from the weather radar and eyed her soon-to-be ex-husband. He was looking as handsome as ever, his long, black hair reaching just shy of his sea-green eyes. His torso was covered in an ivory dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A pair of low-riding jeans clung to his hips, showing off a sliver of his stomach. It was his "I mean business" get-up that he only wore when he had to do something he really didn't want to do.

"What brings you back here?" Annabeth asked, barely concealing her anxiety. She returned back to the weather radar, jotting down the area's temperature, humidity, and frequent changes in air pressure. There was a good mixture of a cold front and a warm front, most likely producing a powerful tornado.

She saw Percy pull a stack of papers out of his back pocket out of her periphery. Her jaw clenched in agitation, recognition filling her mind. Of course he was only here about the divorce, he had _her_ now. Annabeth turned back to him, a fake smile curling across her lips. She cleared her throat and motioned for him to say his peace.

"Oh right. You, uh, forgot to sign this part" he blew out, stumbling over his words. He flipped the packet to the back page, pointing to the empty space below his name. Annabeth grabbed the papers, feigning confusion even they both knew it was fake, and read through the section about the dotted line. She leaned back against the hood, looking through the words that had broken her heart.

Grover popped his head out of the van, looking from Percy to Annabeth curiously. Percy noticed him immediately, a ball forming in his throat at seeing his best friend. Tears filled his eyes as he jogged over to Grover and pulled him in for a man-hug.

"It hasn't been the same without you here, man" Grover mumbled, giving him a few pats on the back. Percy pulled away, admitting that he missed his job and the team. Grover smirked and looked behind Percy, his smile fading as his memory hit him as fast as a flash of lightning.

"Annabeth, there's a level 4 brewing about twenty minutes away from here," Grover yelled, his expression apologetic. She grumbled in frustration and threw the divorce papers on the van. She shut the laptop and tucked it under her arm along with the notebook. Her feet pounded against the ground as she ran for her truck.

"Wait!" Percy called after her. He grabbed the papers she had carelessly tossed and jogged over to where she waited for him. She had already packed her things in her truck and waited patiently for Percy to say whatever he needed to get off his chest.

"You forgot to sign the papers," he breathed. A flash of fury burned in her eyes, catching him off guard. She huffed in annoyance and mumbled something about needing to leave. She turned to get in her truck but he quickly grabbed her arm.

"Please, Annabeth. Our marriage is over. Let's just finalize it once and for all," he pleaded. Annabeth jerked her arm away from his grasp as if he had burned her, hurt erupting in her eyes. She covered it quickly, trying to hide it from his searching eyes, but it was too late. Horror filled him at the thought of hurting her, but she quickly spoke before he could apologize

"This is what I live for, Percy. We need footage to broadcast. We lost a lot of money when you vanished," she yelled. Percy flinched, his eyes widening at her words. She had never spoken about his abrupt departure before, so he had assumed that it hadn't affected her. He was stunned into silence, guilt creeping into the pit of his stomach. Annabeth didn't give him the chance to respond. She spun around and hopped into her truck, gunning the engine.

"Dammit!" he yelled in frustration. He ran over to where Luke and Rachel stood, still carrying on a conversation. Luke's walkie talkie started buzzing with commotion, the team ordering him to get his ass in gear. Luke shot them an apologetic look before taking off for his van.

"Come on. We're following them." Rachel's eyes widened, but she obediently jumped into the passenger seat. Percy started the engine and thrusted the divorce papers in the glove compartment, waiting impatiently for the rest of the team to follow behind Annabeth. He tore off down the road as soon as Grover pulled out of the lot.

"Hold on tight. She's going to be a rough one."

**Don't worry, there will be eventual Percy/Annabeth. So what are your thoughts? Hit or miss? Please R&R! Thanks :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel had her ear phones tucked in, her legs shaking with nerves. Percy wanted to comfort her and put her worries to rest, but his excitement over storm chasing overruled any reassurances bubbling. Percy could feel the adrenaline rush pulsing through his veins, a wide smile taking over his lips. During the ride he couldn't help but think back to the old days

In the original line-up, he and Annabeth rode in the front. Her experiences with tornadoes and his insight were the main reason they took the lead. When she was only a child, she was caught in the path of a level 5 tornado. Her father was taken from her while trying to protect his family from the vortex, and the memory still haunts her to this day. It was what mainly pushed her to the storm chasing industry. She felt a pull towards tornadoes, it was as if they connected Annabeth to her father. Since then she has always been more daring than the others, willing to go the extra mile for footage, but Percy was always there to ground her.

Luke was second in the line-up, he was the one in charge of taping the tornado. His wife, Thalia, had died several years ago in a plane crash on her way to see him. Luke was devastated to say the least, which is one of the reasons he had been so infuriated by Percy and Annabeth's separation. His experience forced him to start living by the saying, "You never know what you have until it's gone."

Fortunately, he had met a new woman a few years back. It had been an uneventful day at the lot, there weren't signs of tornadoes popping up at any rate. A mysterious femme fatale had made a wrong turn, landing her at the lot. Luke was more than happy to guide her to the right path and they bonded instantly. Her name was Alexius, she had deep, violet eyes and wild, curly brown hair. She had the temper of a tiger but a heart of pure gold. The team had accepted immediately, allowing her to join in the storm chasing. She was put in charge of driving the van and picked up the regulations instantly. She was to stay a large distance away from Annabeth, as a safety precaution, but close enough for Luke to tape the tornado.

The third van held Nico and his sister Bianca. They were fairly new to the job, but they blended easily with everyone. Nico was very easy-going, he was able to adapt to any condition they threw at him. Bianca was the out-going one, always participating in the rare social gatherings. They were like black and white completely different but mixing together in a beautiful combination.

The final van held Grover and Juniper. The admirable couple had met in high school and had been together ever since. Annabeth and Percy were also given the honorable duties as best man and maid of honor. After a few years of gaining investments and knowledge, they burst into the storm chasing industry. They were an unstoppable business, a team in every sense of the word.

It had affected them the most throughout the divorce. They lost one of their best friends, and the other was only a shell of who she used to be. It was painful not being able to contact Percy, Annabeth swore up and down she wouldn't think any less of them if they did, but they still felt as though it would be betraying her. She needed the emotional support more than he did, but it still hurt like hell not to be able to communicate with their friend.

Grover and Juniper were shocked by Percy's sudden arrival, and a bit hurt that he only came because of the divorce. They knew that after he left Annabeth would be a wreck, she had never really gotten over him. She always held onto the last string of hope, but after this visit, it would be crushed like an array of glass.

"Percy?" Rachel asked timidly, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Percy snapped out of his thoughts, his head shaking as he cleared his mind of the past. "What's on your mind?"

"Grover said something about a level 4 earlier. What is that?" she asked, her anxiety almost palpable. Percy reached over and held her hand, trying to ease her nerves. Her shoulders sagged and a small smile graced her lips, but she was still curious.

"It's an intensity scale for tornadoes. The levels vary from 1-5, 5 being the most dangerous," he explained. Rachel seemed appeased that it wasn't the worst tornado, but the fact that it was the second most dangerous still terrified her. She pestered Percy for more information.

_How many are usually killed? How long does it last? How unpredictable can the tornado be? _He could only give vague answers since it mostly depended on the population and the area the tornado inhabits. The only thing they could really be sure about were the wind speeds and and an estimate of the tornado width.

"Have any of you ever seen a level 5," she asked, warily. Percy's jaw clenched, the only response he gave was silence. Annabeth's experience with the tornado was personal, and he wasn't about to start spreading it around to people she doesn't know or trust. Rachel took his silence as a confirmation, but didn't push the issue further.

Rachel didn't know how to diffuse his tension and Percy didn't really feel like talking, which left an awkward silence looming in the air. After a mere minute, hail began to pelt the windshield. They were only about the size of a dime, not large enough to do any real damage. Percy laughed in surprise and quickly turned on the windshield wipers. Rachel held her breath as the pieces of ice clanged against the window, fear and excitement warring within her.

Hail was always allusive, appearing and disappearing within the blink of an eye. It didn't come as a surprise as the hail slowly receded after only a few minutes. A sigh of relief brushed through Rachel's lips, her eyes softly gazing at the hail tapping the windshield every now and again. Percy didn't have the heart to tell her that this meant they were getting closer towards the tornado. He knew he was right when he heard hoots and hollers erupting from the vans. The fields were so vast that you could see the tornado from miles away.

It was a massive tornado, reaching just over half a mile in width. Flakes of debris outlined the tornado, making it seem even larger than it already was. Shimmers of lightning bloomed across the dangerously dark sky, casting a gray glow across their path. It was a bittersweet pill to swallow, on one hand the sight was beautiful and serene, but on the other hand it was a terrifying position to be in.

Tornadoes are known for being very unpredictable, but since this one was so large, it would be easier to predict its path of destruction. Usually it was Percy's job to predict the path since his insight was uncanny, but the task had fallen on Annabeth's shoulders when left. Most of the time she was dead on about her predictions, but every now and again the swirling vortex would outsmart her. Which is what it was starting to look like as the line-up grew closer to the tornado.

The level 4 glided along field after empty field, keeping about a five mile distance between itself and the road. To most, it would look as though the vortex would simply glide along the edge of the road, steering clear of its occupants. Percy knew it wasn't true, he could see the distance between the two slowly decrease. At the rate it was traveling towards the road, it would hit Annabeth straight on.

Panic filled Percy, his lips muttering curses too low for Rachel to hear. He slid over into the next lane, laying down on the horn as he quickly passes Grover and Juniper. It was only a two-lane street, but the road was so straight he would be able to see any oncoming cars. He received a few honks from the team, their hands smacking against the steering wheel from a mixture of confusion and frustration. It wasn't unusual for Percy to do anything impulsive, but this was a bit extreme.

"Percy? What are you doing?" Rachel yelled over the roar of the engine. Her eyes were wild with worry and fear, one hand grasping the handle while the other took hold of Percy's forearm. He gritted his teeth and pushed the pedal down further. "Roll down the window."

Rachel looked at him as though he had gone of the deep end. She scoffed and ignored his request, instead demanding that he told her what was going on. It was a perfectly natural reaction, but Percy didn't have the patience to give her a play-by-play of what could happen. He gave her a stern look, portraying all of the panic building in his chest and pleaded with his eyes for her to listen to him. Rachel sighed and looked at the window switch, pressing it down until the arched glass disappeared.

Percy smiled in gratitude, a light smile spreading across his lips as the wind played with his hair. He looked over at Rachel and grinned at the way her hair flew across her face, her hands frantically trying to pry it away. The hail had yet to end, and every few seconds or so a chunk of ice would fly through the window.

All of the playfulness was tossed out the window when Annabeth's truck appeared in front of them. The cherry red paint looked almost purple in the gray lighting, her tinted windows looking twice as dark. It was such a stark contrast, but very fitting in the perilous adventure.

A flash of gray eyes looked out the window, her mind reeling from Percy's hot pursuit. A gasp of surprise flung from her lips as she quickly rolled down the window. Her blonde hair flew across her face from the relentless wind, but it didn't seem to faze her. Annabeth's head jumped from looking out the windshield to looking at the crazy black-haired boy parallel to her.

"What the hell are you doing, Percy?" she barked, her eyes seeming to match the storm ahead of her. Percy sighed and moved his truck a bit closer to hers. "The tornado is going to hit you if you don't make a turn."

He shouted the words as loud as he could, but they were lost to the wind. Annabeth slowed down her speed, hoping that decrease in wind resistance could help carry his words over to her. Percy slowed down and once again shouted the sentence, but she still couldn't understand him. He beat the wheel in frustration, his eyes wild from the turmoil his wife could be in.

"Grab the wheel," he urged Rachel. She stared at him wide-eyed, but didn't resist like she had before. She steadies the wheel as Percy's hands slowly left it. He hitched his leg up on the seat, his right hand sliding open the window panel behind them.

"Alright, now move your foot over to the gas. I'll explain everything after this is over, okay?" Rachel nodded, but kept her eyes trained on the windshield. Percy gave her a kiss on the cheek before retracting his foot from the pedal. He squeezed through the window, tumbling into the bed of the truck.

He slowly stood up, his foot leaning against the side of the truck. Percy looked in and gently encouraged Rachel to move the vehicle as close to Annabeth's as possible. She nodded and gently inclined the truck next to hers. Annabeth's eyes widened in alarm, but she didn't move away from them. Percy waited until the gap was small enough and jumped as far as his legs would allow.

A sigh of relief mixed with pain breezed through his lips, his knees knocking against the hard, black bedding. He paused to catch his breath before sliding open the back window. He tumbled into the passenger seat, a small, triumphant grin gracing his lips.

"Okay, now will you care to explain what the hell you're doing?" Annabeth begged, bringing him back from his victory-induced haze. He cleared his throat and sat up straighter, a determined look clouding his eyes. He looked behind them and saw Rachel shifting into the right lane, being careful to keep a safe distance from them. Satisfied that she was safe, he turned back to Annabeth. "You're going the wrong way, the tornado isn't going to ride the edge of the road. It's going to veer off into this lane and hit us."

Annabeth looked over the fields to the tornado, her expression one of disbelief. She had been so sure that it wouldn't move off of it's path, but she was obviously wrong. Fear flooded into her mind, clutching her heart tightly. Her breaths became ragged as she begged Percy to tell her what to do.

"Everyone else is going to turn around and go back the way they came. It's too late for us to turn around, we're in too deep, but they still can. We'll cut through the field before it can reach us," he explained, his hand reaching for the walkie talkie. His finger pressed down on the talk button, begging for the team to answer. Annabeth slowed down tremendously, a warning for them to pay attention.

"All of you need to turn around right now. Do you hear me? Now!" Percy demanded. Questions flew through the monitor, but he ignored them. He offered them promises of explanations and urged them to follow his command. Annabeth watched the rear view mirror, a sigh of relief falling from her lips as they one-by-one retreated back to base. Rachel followed behind sluggishly, reluctant to leave Percy but knowing it was what he wanted.

"Alright. There are too many houses on the other side, so you're going to have to turn into the field," Percy instructed, his voice gentle. Annabeth turned sharply, narrowly missing a street lamp. She sped across the field, holding her breath as the tornado grew closer to the truck. They could feel the vibrations rippling underneath the tires from the tornado, taunting them with signals of how close the vortex really was. Percy reached over and grabbed Annabeth's hand, praying that they came out of this unscathed.

**Well there's a bit of background and some action. I'm sorry if anyone doesn't like the AU, but it just fit with the plot better. Also, for all the Prachel fans, there will be quite a bit more of it. I wanted to say thank you to LukeCastellan'sWife for all of your help and great suggestions! Thank you so much for the reviews and I hope you continue to R&R! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

The truck drifted before stopping abruptly, shoving Percy and Annabeth forward. A mass of winds and destruction cruised ahead of them, the vibrations rocking the vehicle from side-to-side. Percy looked over at Annabeth as his mind finally caught up with the situation. They were alive. They had outsmarted one of the most powerful tornadoes.

Percy tore off his seatbelt and crushed Annabeth tightly to his chest. Her body stilled in shock, from their accomplishment or from Percy's embrace she wasn't sure. He had saved her life and risked his own in the process. He had to still love her if he was willing to put himself in harms way for her, right? _No. _Annnabeth thought, resolutely. _He made his decision a long time ago. I'm not the one he wants. _Annabeth blew out a shaky breath and instinctively wrapped her arms around Percy.

Annabeth fought back tears as she clutched Percy closer to her. She wasn't going to interfere with his engagement, he knows what he wants and it isn't her. It was wrong for her to put too much thought into a simple hug, but she couldn't find it in her to care.

Before she could delve further into her thoughts, the radio began to buzz with activity. Percy and Annabeth jumped apart in surprise, their eyes trailing away from each others to look at the radio. It was mostly Luke with a few interruptions from Grover. "Percy? Annabeth? Are you okay? Dammit, answer us!"

Percy rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow at Annabeth. She smirked and gestured for him to respond to their calls. He smiled and picked up the walkie talkie, holding down the button as his lips grew closer to the speaker. "We are perfectly fine."

Shouts of joy filled the car as the news spread to the crew. Annabeth and Percy captured their ears between their hands to block out their noisy friends. Smiles spread across their cheeks as they celebrated their victory. "Now that we know you're alive, lets hit the road. I'm starving," Grover groaned.

Annabeth chuckled and slid back into the driver's seat. She threw her arm behind Percy's headrest and looked out the window. Her foot tapped the pedal as she eased the truck towards the road. Just as the tires were about to hit the concrete, a sudden memory blind-sided her. A gasp of surprise tumbled out of her lips and she stomped on the brakes in surprise.

_"You do realize how sexy you look driving a truck, right?" Percy whispered in her ear. Annabeth laughed and lightly pushed his shoulder. He was always making little comments on her driving skills, but when she bought the truck, suddenly the teasing was gone. She wrapped her arm around his headrest and backed out of his driveway._

_His eyes never strayed from her face as the truck glided down the road. Every now and again she would peek over at him to see if his gaze would falter, but it never did. She assumed that he would avert his eyes in embarrassment, quickly look away at something else, but he never did. "What? Do I have __something in my teeth?" _

_Annabeth ran her tongue over her teeth, searching in vain for any foreign object stuck in-between them. She raised an eyebrow at Percy, waiting for him to explain. He sighed and traced the contours of her cheek._

_"You really don't know just hoe beautiful you look, do you?" He wondered, aloud. Her breath caught in her throat. A cherry red hue crawled along her neck and blossomed across her cheeks. Percy smiled and placed a light kiss on her forehead._

"Annabeth? Annabeth!" Percy called, his hand shaking her shoulder frantically. Annabeth blinked a few times and shook her head to clear her mind. She looked at Percy, evoking a sigh of relief to pass through his lips. "What was that? One minute you're fine and the next you're unresponsive."

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. Percy watched her in concern as she pulled onto the road. She had never kept anything from him, no matter embarrassing, she always told him the truth. It was unnerving something affect her so harshly and he couldn't do anything about it.

He thumped his head against the headrest in frustration and bit his tongue. The last thing he needed was to say something hurtful to her when she was already so fragile. He sighed and listened to the playful banter erupting through the radio.

"I'm telling you, man. Lightning is so much better. It can knock a plane out of the sky or knock you dead. It can also start a forest fire if it hits a tree," Luke argued. Alexius's giggles could be heard in the background. Every now and again she would steal the walkie talkie from Luke and give Grover her two cents. The crew was always arguing over the most nonsensical things, but it always brought a smile to everyone's face.

"Rain is so much better, dude. It can feel good if it's light, but it can also hurt if it's pounding against your skin. It could drive someone off the road or cause a flood. It's also really relaxing when you're sleeping," Grover argued. There were so many scenarios for rain, but very few for lightning. Rain could be either good or bad which would make it a lot more powerful against lightning.

"I'm going to side with Grover on this one," Percy voiced. Grover hooted in victory while Luke grunted in disapproval. Annabeth shot Percy a deprecating look. "What? It's true."

"I know that and you know that, but it's never a good idea to put your two cents in. Remember the last time you decided against Luke?" Annabeth chastised. Percy shuddered at the memory and instinctively smoothed down his jeans.

Percy and Grover had teamed up on Luke in a silly argument a few years ago. Luke had sworn that he would get revenge on them, but they had shrugged off his threats.

That same night they woke up with cockroaches crawling in their pants. Alexius and Luke fervently claimed that they had nothing to do with any of it, but they knew better. Annabeth had found the irony hysterical, but somehow the boys couldn't seem to agree with her.

Percy shivered and yanked the walkie talkie towards him. "N-nevermind. I'm a neutral party in this, I'm not taking anyone's side. You got that, Luke?"

Everything was quiet for a minute before Alexius's and Luke's laughter blasted through the radio. Alexius kept trying to get a word in, but a wave of giggles would quickly drown out anything she had to say. Annabeth gestured for Percy to give her the walkie talkie.

"That's enough, kids. Now back to serious matters. There are more tornadoes that will be coming in so we need to get something to eat and rent a hotel to crash in. Does anyone have any preferences to what hotel they want?" Annabeth asked.

Percy looked out the window as he mulled over the choices. There were a lot of hotels down here, but not many of them were affordable. When they first started filming tornadoes they stayed at the Marriott Hotel for a week. By the end of that go around they had more debt than they had profit.

"Well, Percy. Where do you want to stay?" Grover asked. Percy could practically see the grin stretching across his face. He smirked and gestured for Annabeth to hand him the walkie talkie. Just as he was about to press down the button, Luke interrupted.

"Wait, I thought you had to go back home? Or are you going to give this another go?" Luke asked, hope filling his voice. Percy's mouth open and closed as he tried to think of what to say. It was so natural being back with the crew that he hadn't even thought about leaving. He knew it probably wouldn't be fair to Rachel, but this would most likely be the last chance he had at stormchasing.

"I'm in. Red Roof Inn?" Percy smiled. Annabeth raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. She was happy that he was staying, but she was scared that she wouldn't be able to control her emotions. Having him in the same vicinity as her and not begging him to take her back was a great enough challenge.

She waved off all of the remorse and focused on the good parts of his returning. It would most likely be no more than a few days, a week at best, and she could finally capture the closure she's been seeking all along.

"Red Roof Inn it is! Besides, it's also right by Annabeth's Aunt Iris. I'm sure Aunt Iris won't mind cooking us a meal from time-to-time," Grover rambled. Annabeth rolled her eyes at his musings, he was always looking for a reason to visit Aunt Iris so that she could cook them a feast. Aunt Iris never minded, she thrived off of Grover's compliments and moans of appreciation.

"Alexius, book the hotel. Oh and get off at the next exit, we need to stop and get something to eat," Annabeth commanded. Grover groaned something about his love for food and Alexius confirmed our reservations. They were the oddest bunch, yet they fit together so perfectly.

Gravel crackled underneath the tires as they pulled in. The café was relatively empty, only a few cars were scattered across the lot. Annabeth pulled the truck next to a familiar looking van. She peered through her window as the truck rolled to a stop. The front seats were empty, but she could see a couple of shadows looming behind the van.

Without a second thought, Annabeth hopped out of the truck and peered around the van. Curses flew under her breath as the two figures finally clicked in her mind. She turned around just in time to see Percy making his way around her truck.

"Percy, go inside. Now." she said in a calm voice. His eyes fell to hers in surprise. He always knew when something was wrong by the tone of her voice. Her lips would tremble slightly and he could barely hear the quiver in her voice. Percy scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. Who could cause such a powerful reaction from Annabeth?

Percy glided past Annabeth and searched for the two figures behind the van. She yelled his name in warning and grabbed his arm, but it was too late. The damage had been done and there was nothing she could do about it.

"..Yes this new invention should allow us to predict whenever a tornado is forming. Its quite fascinating," Ares bragged. Aphrodite clutched at his arm and smiled at the flashing cameras. Behind him stood _"their" _invention that piqued the interest of the camera men.

It had been Percy who had came up with the idea and designed the blue prints. He may not have gotten around to constructing it, but the idea was his and his alone. Percy would've been fine with someone else taking credit for his invention, hell he would've gladly handed over all his blue prints, but this he couldn't take. Not Ares, not after all he did to destroy their marriage.

"You Son of a Bitch," Percy yelled. Rage flared inside of him, all of the emotions from nearly a year ago, surged forth in a matter of seconds. One minute Percy was standing in front of Annabeth and then the next he had Ares in a headlock.

Annabeth yelled for Percy to let go, pleading with him that it wasn't worth it, but he wouldn't listen. She did 't know what Ares did, she didn't know the _real _reason their marriage was over, and he wasn't about to let Ares get away with it.

**For all of you who have seen Twister, I know this wasn't part of it. I added this in to give it some suspense. Sorry for the long wait, I hope the update was worth it. Thank you all for your reviews and LukeCastellan's Wife for all your help :) Please R & R!**


	4. Chapter 4

By some miracle, Grover and Luke finally caught on to the commotion and were able to force Percy off of Ares. Blood trickled down Percy's chin and Ares looked as though he had a shiner blooming on his left eye.

"You're lucky I'm feeling generous enough not to sue," Ares spat. A vein in his neck pulsed rapidly as he glared Percy down. Aphrodite was whispering reassurances in his ear as well as barking orders at the camera crew. Percy wasn't phased by the threat, the only thing stopping him from plowing into Ares was Annabeth's frightened stare.

That look, those _eyes_, were his undoing. Percy brushed away from Luke and Grover, turned around and ran. He ran from his past. He ran from the cruel hand he was dealt. But, more importantly, he ran from _her_.

It wasn't fair to Rachel that he couldn't seem to move on. The reason he had finally decided to let go was because he had felt as though it was the only way to get away from the past. Percy had only been in her presence for less than a day and she was already pulling him back into her light, her warmth.

He stopped and gulped in deep breaths as he finally let go of the restraint that had suppressed his emotions. Tears brimmed in his eyes at the thought of that awful day so many years ago.

"_It's a shame that such a tight-knit group such as yours has so many scandals." It was a dark time in Oklahoma, the sky was nearing black in the early afternoon and clouds rolled by at a rapid pace. Trees swayed against the heavy onslaught of wind, leaves skittered across the brittle grass. The weather had been hectic and the changes in conditions were as much a surprise to a regular citizen as a practiced meteorologist. _

"_You don't know anything about me or my crew," Percy growled. He could feel his patience wearing thin and was disgusted for even agreeing to meet up with Ares. Percy turned away and stalked off towards his truck. _

"_It's a shame you don't realize what's hidden just underneath your nose. Your wife's affair.." Ares left off, waiting for it to sink in. Percy's steps faltered, a deep chill clasping his body. An affair? Annabeth could never do anything like that to him. Anger flared through him once he realized Ares' true intention of this meeting. He just wanted to break up the crew, no matter the consequence. He was so bloodthirsty for power that he would go so far as to destroy a marriage. _

"_You coward! You unimaginable bastard, are your really that struck by greed-"_

"_I have proof."_

A tear grazed his cheek. He should have never listened to what he had to say. The moment anything negative was said about Annabeth should have been his breaking point. It should have been the end of his tolerance. Still, he listened. Not because he had any doubt of Annabeth's true character, but because he allowed his pride to get the better of him.

_Red flashed before his eyes and an uncontainable anger flared through him. Ares didn't have the right to know Annabeth for who she was, much less belittle her good name. Percy rushed forward and swung his arm, his fist colliding with Ares' mouth. Ares looked away from Percy and wiped away the blood gathering below his lip. Percy stepped back, waiting for Ares to defend himself. But he never did. He just looked at Percy with sympathy. _

"_Here. Take this," Ares mumbled. He pulled a manilla envelope from his jacket and offered it to Percy. Percy stared at it, trying to see through it to discover the contents residing inside of the envelope. He wanted to burn it, to walk away from the temptation, but his curiosity got the best of him._

Percy blew out a shaky breath. He had so many regrets from that day. So many things he wished he could take back or re-do. He wished he hadn't of listened to that seed of doubt planted in his mind. He wished he hadn't of met with Ares in the first place. But, most of all, he wished he had Annabeth back.

_Despite his gut instinct, he took the envelope. Percy stared down at the object in his hands. The smooth metal clasps begged him to open it, but he refused to do so with Ares breathing down his neck. As if realizing this, Ares began to move. He clapped Percy on the shoulder before returning back the way he came. _

_Once alone, Percy gave in to the temptation and gingerly opened up the fragile envelope. He pulled out two pieces of paper along with a post-it. Percy peered down at the papers and noticed that they were pictures. The first picture was of Percy and Annabeth on their wedding day. It had been a small wedding so Percy couldn't fathom how Ares had gotten a picture. Especially since he wasn't invited. _

_He slid the picture behind the second photo, his eyes widening at the intimate couple. It was a picture of Annabeth and Luke kissing. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and his held on tightly to her waist. Percy didn't want to believe what he held in his hands, but the longer he looked the more he reflected. The subtle touches between the two. The comfortable teasing that flowed between them. It was all too believable. _

_Percy shoved the pictures back into the envelope and finally eyed the post-it. The note didn't clarify who it was for, but it had familiar handwriting._

_Meet with me at the lake at 8._

_He'll never know._

_Love,_

_Luke_

_Percy felt his eyes brim with tears as he turned the note over. He wanted to know if there was anymore information or anymore secrets. A small note resided on the back, but it wasn't in Luke's handwriting._

_Told you. _

_Ares_

_The note crumpled in his hand. His body shook with sobs as he collapsed to the ground. His life was nothing without her. She was his world, and now she's gone. Because of another man. A man he had called his friend. A man who stole his wife. _

Photoshop. A powerful tool when trying to conjure up something that's fake. A tool he should have questioned before he made assumptions. That same night he left Annabeth. She never knew. He never called her out for her supposed affair. Once again his pride had reared it's ugly head and prevented him from giving her the explanation she deserved.

Percy didn't find out until he and Rachel started dating that the whole thing was a ruse. Percy had been keeping tabs on his friends from Oklahoma and had found out about Luke and Alexius. They had been dating for a long time without anyone's knowledge. It had been at least a month before Percy and Ares had even had their meeting.

That was Percy's first sign that Ares' had faulty evidence. He still couldn't get over the letter from Luke. If what he found out was true, than who was the man that Luke wanted to remain oblivious? Why would his relationship be a secret in the first place?

He did a little bit of research and found that Alexius had previously been in an abusive relationship. The scum had been arrested a couple of weeks before Percy found out about Luke's relationship. Which explained the "he" part in the note. Luke was protecting her all along.

Even with all of that, Percy still couldn't get over the picture. It was so incriminating and real that he couldn't comprehend that it wasn't true. Believing the picture was faulty would mean that not only did he trust the wrong person, but he ruined his marriage because of sheer stupidity.

It took him a long time, but he finally gave in and realized the truth behind the lies. He accepted that he had made a terrible mistake and that his marriage crumbled because of it. He knew he should have told Annabeth the truth, she deserved it after all he put her through.

After everything he came to understand, he still couldn't tell her. By then his relationship with Rachel had progressed too far. If he told Annabeth the truth and, by some miracle she forgave him, Percy knew he'd try to re-build his marriage. It would crush Rachel. Annabeth didn't suspect anything so leaving her in the dark may be better than telling her the truth. Either way he would end up hurting someone and he couldn't bear to hurt them.

After some time he figured that not telling Annabeth would be the lesser of two evils. He had been away for so long that she was bound to have moved on by now. If she had found someone else, then who was he to keep her from happiness?

His feelings for Rachel never progressed, he only proposed in order to appease her. She had been hinting at marriage and he didn't want to lose the one person who had made living less of a chore. So he followed through with her wants. He loved Rachel, that he had no doubt, but he wasn't _in love_ with her.

Seeing Annabeth again and knowing that she was alone made his guilt build even more. He had made the wrong decision. She had never moved on like he had hoped she would. At times he felt completely and utterly alone, but it was nothing compared to what she faced each and everyday.

A hand on his shoulder startled him from his thoughts. He turned around abruptly and was faced with wide, gray eyes. Annabeth. She stared at him with concern before looking down at his lips. His bottom lip was swollen and he still had blood smeared on his chin. She grabbed a piece of tissue from her bag and poured some water on it. Annabeth gently wiped away the blood, hesitating when his eyes scrunched in pain.

"You're gonna need some ice for that lip. Do you want to talk about it?" Annabeth asked, gently. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to talk to her for hours and explain every last detail and beg for her forgiveness. It would be so easy to fall back into the pattern of storm chasing and settle back into his old life.

Percy cleared his throat and shook his head. It was too late now to do any of those things. It wasn't fair to Annabeth or Rachel, they didn't deserve to suffer because of the choices he made. He was here for the divorce papers and to see to it that _his _invention worked.

Annabeth began to walk back towards the café, Percy trudging behind her. After walking for merely a minute, she stopped and turned around abruptly. Percy stopped and stepped back so he wouldn't run into her. A look of determination and concern clouded her eyes.

"If you ever want to talk, don't hesitate to let me know."

Before he could respond, she had turned around and started walking again. He watched her for a moment, her bright, blonde curls dancing in the wind. He smiled at how beautiful she was and how completely oblivious she was to it. A sigh escaped from his lips as he slowly began to follow her.

**I'm terrible at updating so I am no longer making any promises for dates. The only thing I can promise is I will update as soon as I have time to do so. Let me know what you think of this chapter! Now we know what happened to their marriage.. will he tell Annabeth? Please R &R! Thanks :) **


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